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Dear Friends,
Hope your Friday is going well for you and your family! This week-end I will be reading
bills and getting ready for other formal Legislative meetings and committees that will start remotely on Thursday. I want you to meet team McLain for this 2021 session! My two new staff members are Carolyn Lee and Gabby Fahim. They are working diligently to serve HD # 29 and Western Washington County!
Highlights from Governor Brown’s Press Conference today on the state's ongoing response to COVID-19
- Without the influx of vaccines we were told were coming we have had to readjust our vaccination schedule again, and unfortunately seniors will have to wait a few more weeks before they begin receiving the vaccine. The Governor is extremely frustrated by the inconsistent information from the feds, and the outright illusion around these extra doses.
- We will spend the next week and a half doubling down on our efforts to vaccinate as many Oregonians in the 1a category as possible. On January 25 we expect to start vaccinations for educators. As long as our vaccine allocation from the Federal Government doesn’t change we should be able to begin vaccinating Oregonians who are 80 and over on February 8th, and begin lowering that age over the following weeks.
- OHA is working with public health and health care providers to create more large scale vaccine locations across the state, and simultaneously working to expand partnerships to get vaccines to high-risk individuals who can’t come to a large scale vaccination event.
- The Governor has called in support from the National Guard at a number of sites around the state to increase capacity, including in The Dalles and Salem.
- There is a new chat tool on the vaccine website to help folks with questions that aren’t answered in other areas. It should pop up on the right side of the screen at https://covidvaccine.oregon.gov/, or if you scroll to the “vaccine eligibility & FAQ Tool” about 2/3 of the way down the page.
Governor Brown Statement on Federal Reserve of COVID-19 Vaccines
- Governor Kate Brown today issued the following statement on new information about the federal reserve of COVID-19 vaccines:
- "Last night, I received disturbing news, confirmed to me directly by General Perna of Operation Warp Speed: States will not be receiving increased shipments of vaccines from the national stockpile next week, because there is no federal reserve of doses.I am demanding answers from the Trump Administration. I am shocked and appalled that they have set an expectation on which they could not deliver, with such grave consequences
Oregon National Guard helps Salem Health speed up vaccination
- The Oregon National Guard joined Salem Health to help with their vaccine clinics over the past week. Oregon Citizen Soldiers and Airmen are activated to support Salem Heath administer the COVID-19 vaccine to Oregonians by assisting with processing, administration, giving shots and monitoring people after the shot.
- “This is Oregonians helping Oregonians,” said Maj. Gen. Michael E. Stencel, Adjutant General, Oregon. This is what we do. We’re out here as part of the community working with Salem Health. They’re happy to have us, and we’re happy to work and learn with them.
Vaccination goal of 12,000 met at end of last week
- Based on updated totals, OHA announced that vaccination sites across the state met Gov. Kate Brown’s goal of ensuring 12,000 vaccinations a day at the end of last week. Vaccine providers in Oregon administered 12,039 total doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines on Jan. 8, 2021. The Governor required the benchmark to be met by the end of the two-week period that began Jan. 4.
- Cumulative daily totals can take several days to finalize because providers have 72 hours to report doses administered and technical challenges have caused many providers to lag in their reporting. OHA has been providing technical support to vaccination sites to improve the timeliness of their data entry into the state’s ALERT Immunization Information System (IIS).
- “While we hit the Governor’s goal of hitting 12,000 vaccines administered in a day last week,” said OHA Director Patrick Allen, “we want to sustain and expand our daily totals. The state can’t achieve our goal to deliver vaccinations quickly, efficiently and equitably all on our own. I’m grateful for the hard work that staff in hospitals, local health clinics and other sites have put into ramping up vaccinations for Oregonians. Vaccines are the safest and most effective way we can end this pandemic.”
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National Numbers:
- Confirmed Cases: 23,193,703
- Deaths: 38,255
- These national numbers come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can view their national and state by state data here.
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Oregon Status Report: Oregon reports 1,152 new confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases, 29 new deaths
- There are 29 new COVID-19 related deaths in Oregon, raising the state’s death toll to 1,737, OHA reported at 12:01 a.m. today.
- OHA also reported 1,152 new confirmed and presumptive cases of COVID-19 as of 12:01 a.m. today, bringing the state total to 130,246.
- Washington County has 18,384 cases, and 160 deaths.
COVID-19 impacts all age groups
- Sadly, COVID-19 has taken the life of a 19-year-old in Oregon. Our hearts go out to the friends and family of this young person, and to all those who have experienced the loss of a loved one from COVID-19.
- In Oregon, this is the fourth COVID-19 related death in people younger than 30 since the beginning of the pandemic. We know from what is reported in Oregon, the majority of younger patients who contract COVID-19 do not have more severe outcomes seen in older groups.
- While older people are at higher risk of having more severe outcomes, including hospitalization and death, state data show that about 5% of patients who have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 were between the ages of 10 and 39 years old. As of Jan. 13, 103 people between the ages of 10 and 19 have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in Oregon.
Seasonal affective disorder and the pandemic
- Dark winter days can make us feel down, unmotivated and sluggish. Those low, gray skies sap our energy and enthusiasm. In about one person in 20, these feelings can be symptoms of seasonal depression, called seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Many more people get the winter blues, a milder version of SAD.
- This winter, with many of us feeling added stress and anxiety from the pandemic, brighter days might seem very far away. If managing your mental and emotional health this winter feels like more of a challenge, you are not alone. Find mental and emotional health supports on the Safe + Strong website.
- You could also try these suggestions to manage SAD this winter:
- Set a daily routine and stick to it. Getting up and going to bed at consistent times helps regulate your sleep.
- Take a daily walk, preferably just after sunrise. Exercise and outdoor light can boost your spirits.
- Connect with other people, by phone, or on physically distanced walks.
- Talk to your healthcare provider about lightbox therapy and other treatments that could work for you
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Power restored to majority of PGE customers in tri-county region
- Following bouts of stormy weather in the region Tuesday, power has been restored to about two-thirds of the Portland General Electric customers in the tri-county region.
- At one point, PGE showed Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington Counties reported having nearly 3,000 customers without power. By 2:30 p.m., however, just a little more than 400 combined customers were still experiencing no electricity in their residences. Just five reported outages remain, PGE said.
The Oregon Legislature swore in a record number of people of color on Monday
- With the addition of a Vietnamese American, a Latina, a Latino and a Somali immigrant, the Legislature now includes a record 13 people of color, including three Black men in the Senate. The House will be 17% non-white for the first time in Oregon history.
House Speaker Tina Kotek calls for the resignation of Rep. Mike Nearman
- This past Monday, House Speaker Tina Kotek today called for the resignation of Representative Mike Nearman following his actions to let rioters into the Oregon State Capitol as they were actively attempting to break in during the third special session of 2020. His behavior was captured on security camera footage that has since been published by several local and national news outlets.
- Speaker Kotek stripped Rep. Nearman of his committee assignments and rescinded his commission appointments. She is also invoicing Rep. Nearman for $2,000 to cover the costs to fix the damage that resulted when he allowed the rioters to enter the Capitol vestibule.
- She is also joining other House members in filing a formal conduct complaint with the Legislative Equity Office, alleging that Rep. Nearman’s actions have created a hostile work environment in the Capitol.
- Additionally, Rep. Nearman read a statement on the floor agreeing to immediate safety measures. According to Rep. Nearman’s letter, he will not let any non-authorized personnel into the Capitol, will rescind his badge access to the Capitol, and will provide 24 hours’ notice before each time he comes to the building. This will allow notice to be provided to all Capitol occupants so they can adjust their plans if they do not feel safe working in the building while he is present.
Employment Department
Continued Assistance Act (CAA) created a new program: Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation
- Under MEUC, Oregonians receiving regular unemployment insurance benefits, and who can document at least $5,000 in annual self-employment income in their most recent tax year, will receive an additional $100 per week.
- The “most recent tax year” is the year before they filed their claim for regular UI benefits. For example: If they filed their regular UI claim in 2020, but are still receiving UI or are not receiving benefits under the PEUC or EB extensions, claimants would need to provide documentation for $5,000 of self-employment income in 2019. If they filed their regular UI claim in 2021, claimants would need to provide documentation for $5,000 of self-employment income in 2020.
- MEUC benefits will be paid retroactively.
- We are still waiting for MEUC implementation guidance from DOL and don’t anticipate being able to pay these benefits until March 2021. We will have more information about required documentation, qualifications and process at that time.
2020 Taxes and Unemployment Benefits
- Next week, we will begin mailing Form 1099-G to everyone who received unemployment benefits at some point during 2020.
- These forms will be mailed by January 31st to the address on file as of January 12th—digital copies will be available in the Online Claim System.
- If somebody receives this form but did not apply for benefits in 2020, they should report that potential fraud to us by calling 1-877-668-3204 or submitting a message through our fraud reporting form at unemployment.oregon.gov/unemployment-insurance-fraud.
Employment Department Webinars
- This week’s unemployment insurance webinar focused on CAA and federal guidance on state implementation. The full presentation has been posted online, for those who missed it: https://youtu.be/zxcaREuTny0
- You can sign up for future webinars and access past webinars here: unemployment.oregon.gov/webinars
- Nuestro próximo seminario web en español será el jueves 28 de enero a la 1 p.m., donde compartiremos actualizaciones sobre la Ley de Asistencia Continua. Registrarse aquí.
- Our next webinar will be a Spanish-speaking webinar about CAA updates on January 28, 2021 at 1 p.m. Register here.
Update from the Oregon Department of Human Services
Stimulus payments are coming: Don’t throw out the Earned Income Payment debit card
- The U.S. Treasury has begun issuing its second round of stimulus payments. People who don't receive a direct deposit by early January should look for either a check from IRS or Economic Impact Payment (EIP) debit card in the mail.
- People will not necessarily be paid the same way they received their first stimulus payment.
- How to identify the card: The envelope will have a return address of Money Network Cardholder Services, PO Box 247022, Omaha, NE 68124. This is not a scam. This is this card: Most individuals will receive $600 and $1,200 for married couples filing a joint return and $600 for each qualifying child. New: Couples filing jointly with just one member of the couple with a work-eligible Social Security Number will now be eligible for payments for the taxpayers and their qualifying children.
- People do not need to take any action right now to receive their stimulus payment. Eligible individuals who do not receive their payment or who did not receive their first stimulus payment can claim it (under the Recovery Rebate Credit) when they file their 2020 tax return this year. People who do not normally file tax returns should also file a 2020 tax return if they do not receive their stimulus payment.
Wildfire Recovery Resources:
OEM has put together this list of contacts to help speed up the process of replacing these documents:
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Green cards: Phone (800)-375-5283; Website: www.uscis.gov
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Medicare cards: Phone: (800)-772-1213; (TTY) (800)-325-0778 Website: www.medicare.gov
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Military records Phone: 866-272-6272 Website: www.archives.gov/contact/
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Passport Phone: 877-487-2778; (TTY) 888-874-7793 Website: travel.state.gov
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Social Security card Phone: 800-772-1213; (TTY) 800-325-0778 Website: www.ssa.gov
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U.S. Savings Bonds Phone: 844-284-2676 Website: www.treasurydirect.gov
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U.S. tax returns Phone: 800-829-1040 Website: www.irs.gov
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Birth, death, marriage, domestic partnership, divorce certificates Phone: 888-896-4988 Website: www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/Birthdeathcertificates
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Driver’s license, auto titles and registration, ID cards Phone: 503-945-5000 Website: www.oregon.gov/odot
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SNAP (Oregon Trail Card) Website: www.oregon.gov/DHS/Assistance/Food-Benefits
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State taxes (Oregon Dept. of Revenue) Phone: 503-378-4988 or 800-356-4222 TTY: All relay calls are accepted. Website: www.oregon.gov/dor
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Real estate and property - Contact your county government.
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Credit cards - Contact your credit card company directly.
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Credit reports from Equifax, Experian, TransUnion Phone: 877-322-8228 Website: www.annualcreditreport.com
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Insurance documents - Check with your insurance agent.
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Medical records - Call your doctor or your medical insurance company; medical and prescription records are tracked electronically.
The Governor’s office has put together a Wildfire Resources page that you can access from the Governor’s home page. It has links to many of the most important updates about the status of fires and resources for evacuees. This website will be updated regularly.
Legal Resources: Oregon State Bar’s Lawyer Referral Program, Oregon lawyers, through the Oregon State Bar, are partnering with FEMA and the American Red Cross to provide legal assistance on FEMA claims, contract claims, insurance claims, landlord-tenant matters and more.
The Department of Forestry’s Wildfire Response and Recovery Overview has ongoing updates about firefighting efforts, damage reports, and more.
FEMA Updates: FEMA has provided several different Fact Sheets and resources for accessing benefits, determining eligibility and avoiding scams.
Employers and Employees
Education Links
Hillsboro School District (en inglés y español)
Forest Grove School District (en inglés y español)
Oregon Department of Education
COVID-19 Resources for Oregon Higher Education Partners
Local Government
City of Hillsboro (en inglés, español y más idiomas)
City of Cornelius (en inglés, español y más idiomas)
City of Forest Grove (Personal que habla español disponible en este número: (503) 992-3221)
Washington County
Utilities Assistance
Portland General Electric (en inglés y español)
NW Natural
City of Hillsboro Utility Billing
Comcast
CenturyLink
AT&T
City of Forest Grove
Food and Housing Assistance
Community Action.org
Oregon Food Bank
Meals on Wheels
Rain and wind brought some flooding, trees down, and a few electric outages locally.
Yours truly,
 Representative Susan McLain
House District 29
email: Rep.SusanMcLain@oregonlegislature.gov I phone: 503-986-1429
address: 900 Court St NE, H-376, Salem, OR 97301
website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/mclain
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